Golam Nafiz (Bengali: গোলাম নাফিজ; died 4 August 2024) was a Bangladeshi student activist who died in the non-cooperation movement on 4 August 2024. He was photographed on a rickshaw on the way to the hospital, the image of which was well-publicized among the many fatalities of the July Revolution.[1]
Golam Nafiz | |
|---|---|
গোলাম নাফিজ | |
| Died | 4 August 2024 (aged 16–17) |
| Cause of death | Gunshot wounds |
| Education | Banani Bidyaniketan School and College Noubahini College, Dhaka |
| Known for | Notable member of the July Revolution |
| Movement | Student-People's uprising |
| Parent(s) | Golam Ahmed (father) Nasima Akter (mother) |
Personal life
editNafiz was born to Golam Ahmed and Nasima Akter. He was the second child of the couple and the youngest of two brothers. He lived in Mohakhali with his family. He passed his Secondary School Certificate (SSC) Examination from Banani Bidyaniketan School and College.[1] He got admission in the Noubahini College, Dhaka in eleventh grade, but never attended for the circumstances of his death.[2]
Non-cooperation movement and death
edit| External videos | |
|---|---|
| A photo documentary of Aljazeera on the clashes of Farmgate area on 4 August which at the end features Nafiz carrying in the rickshaw | |
 | |
 Covering the deadliest day of the protests in Bangladesh – 35th July |
On the first day of the non-cooperation movement, Nafiz and his friends joined protests in the Farmgate–Khamarbari area. Around 4.30 p.m., Nafiz was shot by the police at the Farmgate intersection. After being wounded, fellow protesters placed him in a rickshaw in an attempt to transport him to the nearest hospital. According to rickshaw puller Noor Mohammad, Nafiz was unconscious but still alive at that time. However, members of the Chhatra League obstructed the rickshaw, causing a delay in reaching the hospital. Upon arrival, doctors declared Nafiz dead.[3][4]
On the way to the hospital, photojournalist Jibon Ahmed from Daily Manab Zamin captured a widely circulated image of Nafiz lying in the rickshaw's footwell with a Bangladeshi flag tied around his head, his arms and legs sprawled. The image quickly spread on social media and was featured on the front page of Manab Zamin the following day.[5]
Nafiz's father searched for him throughout the night, going from hospital to hospital. It was only the next day that he found his son's body at the morgue of Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College and Hospital.[4]
Legacy
edit
On 19 August 2024, two advisers of the interim government and principle coordinators of Anti-discrimination Students Movement, Nahid Islam and Asif Mahmud, visited Nafiz's home.[6] Banani Bidyaniketan School and College named one of their academic buildings after him.[7] The rickshaw carrying Nafiz was later donated to July Revolution Memorial Museum and the rickshaw puller, Nur Mohammad, was assured of financial assistance by the interim government.[8]
See also
editSources
edit- ^ a b Hossain, Mansura (13 August 2024). "Nafiz was still alive on the way to hospital after being shot". Prothom Alo.
- ^ Jahan, Nilima (9 August 2024). "Son Died In Quota Reform Protest | 'I could not believe my eyes'". The Daily Star.
- ^ "How rickshaw puller Noor tried to save Nafiz". The Daily Star. 11 October 2024.
- ^ a b "Nafiz was still alive on the way to hospital after being shot". Prothom Alo. 13 August 2024. Retrieved 15 October 2024.
- ^ "'I could not believe my eyes'". The Daily Star. 9 August 2024. Retrieved 15 October 2024.
- ^ "'খাটিয়ায় রাখার পর বুঝতে পারলাম, আমার নাফিজ এত বড় হয়ে গেছে'". bdnews24.com. 20 August 2024.
- ^ "রিকশার পাদানিতে ঝুলতে থাকা গুলিবিদ্ধ নাফিজের নামে ভবন". Daily Jugantor. 18 September 2024.
- ^ "Rickshaw carrying body of Shaheed Nafiz to be preserved at July Revolution Memorial Museum". Dhaka Tribune. 7 November 2024.